VZCZCXRO6133
OO RUEHCHI RUEHCN RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHML #1083 1270832
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 060832Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY MANILA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0613
INFO RUEHZS/ASSOCIATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN NATIONS IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNA/CDRUSPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE

UNCLAS MANILA 001083 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP, EAP/MLS (COPE), EAP/RSP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL RP BM
SUBJECT: PHILIPPINES RECOGNIZES FLAWS WITH BURMESE 
CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM 
 
REF: A. STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT BUSH - MAY 1 
 
     ¶B. EXECUTIVE ORDER 13464 (BLOCKING PROPERTY AND 
        PROHIBITING CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS RELATED 
        TO BURMA) 
     ¶C. SECSTATE 45471 (DEMARCHE REQUEST: BURMA'S FLAWED 
        CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM) 
     ¶D. MANILA 690 (PHILIPPINES SUPPORTS FAIRNESS IN 
        BURMESE REFERENDUM) 
     ¶E. MANILA 654 (EAP DAS STRESSES NEED TO MAINTAIN 
        PRESSURE ON BURMA) 
 
¶1. (SBU) The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is acutely 
aware of the planned May 10 constitutional referendum in 
Burma and agrees with our assessment of its flaws.  President 
Arroyo publicly chastised the Burmese junta March 9 for not 
allowing international observers at the planned referendum 
(refs D and E).  In her statement, Arroyo called the Burmese 
regime's rejection of outside observers "a sad day for 
democracy" and made it clear to the international community 
that she considered it a "strong rebuff of the UN."  DFA 
Acting Assistant Secretary for American Affairs Lourdes 
Yparraguirre assured Polcouns May 5 that Philippine support 
for that position had not wavered. 
 
CONTINUING TO TAKE A STRONG STAND 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) On May 5 Polcouns raised demarche points (ref C) 
with Acting Assistant Secretary Yparraguirre, who confirmed 
that the Burmese constitutional referendum was extremely 
important to President Arroyo as indicated by her March 9 
statement.  Yparraguirre was certain the President Arroyo 
would "continue to take a strong stand on this issue of great 
concern," and added that she would take the issue to the 
highest levels of the DFA.  Separately, Asian and Pacific 
Affairs (ASPAC) Southeast Asia Director Maria Elena 
Algabre-Misrahi said May 2 that "flaws in the process and in 
the constitution itself" were consistent with the critique 
detailed in the demarche request (ref C).  According to 
Algabre-Misrahi, Burmese diplomats, who have always been 
constrained by their military, are increasingly expressing 
frustration with their own government in informal meetings 
with ASEAN counterparts regarding the human rights and 
economic situation in Burma and how it adversely affects 
ASEAN. 
 
PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE ORDER AGAINST THE BURMESE REGIME 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶3. (SBU)  Post also highlighted President Bush's April 30 
public statement (ref A) and message to Congress regarding 
Executive Order 13464, which further blocks transactions 
involving Burmese government assets (ref B).  Post shared the 
text of the Presidential statement with DFA Asian and Pacific 
Affairs (ASPAC) Executive Director Maria Hellen Barber May 2 
and raised demarche points again (ref C).  Post also shared 
the text with ASPAC Assistant Secretary Romeo Manalo and 
DFA's ASEAN Affairs Officer-in-Charge Angelica Escalona on 
May 5.  DFA officials welcomed the additional documents and 
indicated they would carefully review them. 
 
 
 
 
Visit Embassy Manila's Classified SIPRNET website: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm 
 
You can also access this site through the State Department's 
Classified SIPRNET website: 
http://www.state.sgov 
KENNEY